Ars wants to know: which features do you need the most out of the new iPhone?

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When it comes to smartphones, everyone uses their devices just a little bit differently. And when it comes to the iPhone in particular, people sometimes have very specific use cases for work, home, and social lives. Some users might feel like the iPhone's screen is too small for their spreadsheet editing on-the-go, while others might feel that the entire device is already too big to fit into a pocket while skydiving. A fingerprint scanner could be useful to those who work high-security jobs, while it might come off as a superfluous expense for a teacher.

With Apple's September 12 media event just around the corner, it's time to begin speculating seriously about which features would benefit current and future iPhone users the most. We recently rounded up some of the most likely rumors about the next-gen iPhone, which include 4G LTE support, a screen-size bump, a revised dock connector, an improved camera, the 4FF's new "nano" SIM standard, and the iPhone's overall look and feel.

But the intricate details about these alleged new features are largely still missing—what should the new dock connector look like and what will be the goal of the redesign? How much can one really improve on the iPhone's camera? Will LTE be supported outside of the US and Canada (unlike the third-generation iPad)? And when it comes to the processor, should Apple upgrade the iPhone from the current A5 to a quad-core "A6" processor, or should it go with the A5X "extreme" that's currently in the third-gen iPad?

That's why we're asking you, our passionate and clued-in readership. Tell us what you'd like to see Apple add to the next-generation iPhone and how you would make use of those improvements. Both practical and fantasy suggestions are OK by us, but we'd like to know how you think those improvements would benefit different kinds of users: from iPhone aficionados to Android converts, from business to home users, and so on.

After reading through your answers, we'll choose the best ones to highlight before the event takes place next Wednesday. So tell us: what should the new iPhone look like, inside and out?

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Jacqui Cheng
Jacqui is an Editor at Large at Ars Technica, where she has spent the last eight years writing about Apple culture, gadgets, social networking, privacy, and more. Emailjacqui@arstechnica.com//Twitter@eJacqui

For me NFC, better processor and stronger Glass and body is highly desirable. But if they just fix the home button so it stops breaking after only a year I'm in.(Second iPhone and both have had the home button fail)

The A5X doesn't appear to be likely in its current implementation. It's a large chip, and the power required is too high. I wouldn't be surprised if they moved to a dual core with a lower nm process, like what happened with later releases of the iPad 2. I really think Anand et al's concepts are sound.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were to announce a "global" LTE device. It would limit the amount of SKUs they have operating, which would reduce production costs.

Gonna go out on a limb and choose... ANOTHER overpriced phone with tech that is five years behind the curve of other manufactures, and with DRM locking down any customer choice?! OH, almost forgot the patented new docking technology, that will render the HUGE market of iPhone only hardware useless... real frakking smart Apple. LOL!

A fingerprint scanner is actually insanely useful (I have one on my atrix 4g, it unlocks my phone on the first try has about 85% of the time, and I expect apple could push that closer to 99%) as it takes about 1/10 the time that a passcode uses.

For me NFC, better processor and stronger Glass and body is highly desirable. But if they just fix the home button so it stops breaking after only a year I'm in.(Second iPhone and both have had the home button fail)

Yeah, the home button has failed on my 4 after only a year too. My friend's too.

I just want the new iPhone to have a much better battery life. Perhaps Apple could introduce a sliding scale to adjust how aggressively the phone will attempt to transact data when the signal is very poor.

I always thought the iPhone should have a general-purpose hard button on the side. Maybe in the Camera it shoots, in maps it goes to current location, in 3rd party apps it could do whatever. Just kind of a general "do primary action" button.

Gonna go out on a limb and choose... ANOTHER overpriced phone with tech that is five years behind the curve of other manufactures, and with DRM locking down any customer choice?! OH, almost forgot the patented new docking technology, that will render the HUGE market of iPhone only hardware useless... real frakking smart Apple. LOL!

So many idiots in the comments these days.

I don't know if I'll have the next iPhone though I can probably make a case for having one bought for me. More screen real estate makes sense but only in terms of height. The "phablets" I see around are just the wrong size for one hand, current iPhone is just the right width to hold comfortably in one hand and reach most of the screen with the opposable thumb that commenters like NeuroMan42 lack.A magsafe-derived connector would suit me fine but I would hope to be able to buy adapters for most of my current accessories. I would really like some kind of touch-to-pay facility but don't believe infrastructure providers could get organized to make it easy, fee-free, ubiquitous. 4G LTE isn't much of a feature for me, neither is the micro-sim - I know you don't handle it much but too small is too small. 4G is becoming widespread in Melbourne where I live but I don't notice myself waiting for data much, if ever.What would a quad-core CPU do exactly? Other phones have it, but don't make a 4S feel slow. It's a tickbox feature for marketing purposes. Switching to the same CPU as the current iPad probably makes a whole lot more sense from a manufacturing cost point of view and is plenty fast enough.While I would like a camera with better speed the image quality is just fine. HDR is a useful feature but too often when it's a picture of kids and they are moving, in low light the HDR image is a blur or in good light it's quite different to the image you pressed the button on.

Better "talky" GPS... Which they already have planned. And, tighter integration with desktop computers. (this goes for the ipad too) What I mean by that is we have all these phones and pads with great screens. Why couldn't we use our ipad/phone as an extension and/or input device to our desktop computers.

Examples:

1) iPhone as a touchpad for your computer (there is an app to do this but it requires setting it up on the network. It could just be a native bluetooth pointing device.

2) An extra screen to show system alerts.

3) Native VNC

4) Functioning as an extra capacitive screen for touch buttons taking the place of hotkeys. (For things like pro tools, logic, premiere, lightroom and other editing type programs) Possibly even as extended keyboard controls for games. Mechwarrior online comes to mind.

It seems a waste to have your tablet/phone not be an extension to the desktop.

I love the current iPhone design. I'd like them to use stronger glass on the front and back. Other than that, I don't really see a need to change the device drastically, in terms of its general design.

More durable glass front, metal back, like an iPad, curve it more like the 3G to make it more comfy to hold. IOS, have rotation like on the iPad for springboard, or at least rotate the icons when in landscape mode. User profiles in iOS would be a godsend, wouldn't have to worry about my kids posting on my Facebook page or sending all my clients a picture they just drew 8)Double the storage, CPU is fine on the 4s, but always needs more Battery! Same size is fine, if I want a bigger screen, I'll use my iPad. NFC doesn't matter outside the USA, not necessary.And the dock, changing it will just suck!

All of these would be cool, I'm just expecting a warmed over 4s in a new case though. 8(

1) iPhone as a touchpad for your computer (there is an app to do this but it requires setting it up on the network. It could just be a native bluetooth pointing device.

2) An extra screen to show system alerts.

3) Native VNC

4) Functioning as an extra capacitive screen for touch buttons taking the place of hotkeys. (For things like pro tools, logic, premiere, lightroom and other editing type programs) Possibly even as extended keyboard controls for games. Mechwarrior online comes to mind.

It seems a waste to have your tablet/phone not be an extension to the desktop.

You're really only describing display apps like iScreen and keypard apps like Custom Keypad. I don't think there's much for Apple to do here. I know why you say you want it to work over Bluetooth, but that really only matters for Bluetooth devices on which you can't run third-party software, like the PS3. For a Mac or a PC, installing the agent is no more complicated than Bluetooth pairing. I think Apple's going to leave this situation as-is.

1. No home button2. Edge to edge screen3. Less rounded corners4. 4.5 inch screen5. More multi-touch gestures that include the bezel (like 2-finger swipe for notification in OS X)6. Windows and Finder7. Icon to tile to widget flexibility8. Dedicated physical button for camera

For me NFC, better processor and stronger Glass and body is highly desirable. But if they just fix the home button so it stops breaking after only a year I'm in.(Second iPhone and both have had the home button fail)

The home button of my iPhone 4 has slowly become worse right after my 2 year warranty ended in June. (yep i preordered). I thought they fixed this problem in the 4S and wanted to buy the iPhone 5 for that reason.

Also +1 to NFC. Although some bluetooth (4.0) wallet tech would be ok too.

Standard microusb connector and sd storage. Knowing Apple this will never happen. build quality could be improved significantly, i have had many phones and only iphone 3g which i had (which arguably had better build q than the newer models) needed a case.

Gonna go out on a limb and choose... ANOTHER overpriced phone with tech that is five years behind the curve of other manufactures, and with DRM locking down any customer choice?! OH, almost forgot the patented new docking technology, that will render the HUGE market of iPhone only hardware useless... real frakking smart Apple. LOL!

Didn't Ars used to be renowned for the intelligence of it's commentators. Now we get crap like this which manages to be neither accurate, nor remotely funny or satirical.

1. No home button2. Edge to edge screen3. Less rounded corners4. 4.5 inch screen5. More multi-touch gestures that include the bezel (like 2-finger swipe for notification in OS X)6. Windows and Finder7. Icon to tile to widget flexibility8. Dedicated physical button for camera

Points 1 through 4, 7 & 8: basically everything Apple doesn't stand for? They just sued Samsung through the nose for copying the Apple's trade dress (which includes the rounded corners), and you are hoping (or is it expecting?) them to radically change this (and thus lose a huge customer base?). I think most people agree that the phone will be around the 4" mark, which is already a stretch for fans. If Apple itnroduce widgets, I'll eat my shoe and be as silly as a wheel.

Gonna go out on a limb and choose... ANOTHER overpriced phone with tech that is five years behind the curve of other manufactures, and with DRM locking down any customer choice?! OH, almost forgot the patented new docking technology, that will render the HUGE market of iPhone only hardware useless... real frakking smart Apple. LOL!

Didn't Ars used to be renowned for the intelligence of it's commentators. Now we get crap like this which manages to be neither accurate, nor remotely funny or satirical.

We should send him through to GSMArena. They have morons left, right and centre.

God who cares? You people will just busily run out and replace a perfectly functioning phone a year later. It's disturbing.

*yawn* Apple haters gun be Apple haters. And that's not coming from an Apple fan (have never owned an iPhone). Kind of weird, i know 15+ people with iPhones, yet only one with a 4S ... Your logic is flawed and pathetic.

The squarish sides need to go. 9 out of 10 iphones that I see in the wild have the rubber band protector around the edge. It quite nicely destroys the aesthetics of the phone, but people I've asked prefer the feel and the false sense of security it offers.

Gonna go out on a limb and choose... ANOTHER overpriced phone with tech that is five years behind the curve of other manufactures, and with DRM locking down any customer choice?! OH, almost forgot the patented new docking technology, that will render the HUGE market of iPhone only hardware useless... real frakking smart Apple. LOL!

Didn't Ars used to be renowned for the intelligence of it's commentators. Now we get crap like this which manages to be neither accurate, nor remotely funny or satirical.

Larger screenIncrease the screen real estate. The current bump up from 3.5" to 4" is almost a joke when Samsung and others have already have screen sizes of 4.5, 4.8, and 5". It is doable. It's a matter of when/if Apple gets around to it. I reckon Apple intentionally holds off on that to justify a new round of iphone sales in the in the next tech bump up.

Home buttonDo away with the physical button (one less mechanical component) and go touch interface as exists in the Android-based smart phones.

MicroSDFor external data. It can be easily done. Apple simply does not. The 'control' factor